An essential part of the efficient organisation of the railway industry is the provision of maintenance – or “Traincare” as it is now called – depots to service and house locomotives and rolling stock. Historically, many of the depots used were either based on the site of former steam sheds or represented new facilities built to cater for the arrival of diesel and electric traction, but in an age when rolling stock is leased and the manufacturers have a build and maintain contract, new depots have been built away from traditional locations. Now, for example, Bombardier have a new depot at Burton-on-Trent whilst Siemens have constructed a new facility at Southampton. One of the consequences of this is that many of the depots inherited from British Rail at privatisation been closed or have seen a changed role and this process is continuing with the likely closure and demolition of Old Oak Common in connection with work on the new CrossRail project and the disappearance of Stratford.
This brand new abc guide is designed to provide a ready and handy guide to the depots that currently are in use for the contemporary railway network. Each entry will have a location map allied to information about the owners, rolling stock handled, address, etc. As with the earlier volumes, the book will have explicit instructions stating that the book is not an invitation to visit the sites but will include address details for enthusiasts to make application for permits to visit.
